


Deals Made In The Dark...

by protect_virgil_sanders



Series: A Night To Remember Series [4]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Attempted Kidnapping, Minor Violence, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:02:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25961785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protect_virgil_sanders/pseuds/protect_virgil_sanders
Summary: Janus' perspective during the events of A Night To Remember.Janus watched him approach, trying not to blow a gasket at the sight of his brother barely able to stand. And looking happy about it.“You did not get seriously drunk tonight.”“I didn’t get seriously drunk, I got… what’s the opposite of serious? Uh… unserious? I am unseriously drunk.” Virgil said, chuckling to himself afterwards.
Series: A Night To Remember Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833163
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Deals Made In The Dark...

**Author's Note:**

> I’ll be honest, my mental health took a very bad turn as I was writing this chapter. I’m not super happy with it. But I’d rather write a little worse that usual than just give up completely because I wanna keep going. So I did what I could :P

///

Janus Archer had been to his fill of college parties in the year he’d already attended. And sure, they were okay, if not a little dull for his tastes. It could be amusing when those who let complete strangers into their homes, adding alcohol and other substances into the mix, were surprised when things got destroyed. (though Remus could wreak havoc just fine sober)

Of course the reason him and Virgil were at the party ruined things regardless. It didn’t sit right with Janus, not to mention that it was tearing Virgil apart. If Janus had his way Virgil would wait outside the entire night, he didn’t deserve to be in the middle of this.

So when she’d called Janus away on ‘business’, safe to say he’d been livid.

“Surely Virgie-kins can hold his own without big brother for just a little while.” She’d mocked. At that Janus had to bite his tongue harder than usual.

‘Business’ was usually following potential clients, finding out their lifestyles and whether she could lend them money with ridiculous inflation rates. She’d taken Janus on permanently when he was thirteen, and that’s all it’d meant. For Virgil it had just been taking photos of clients to use as blackmail, as much as Janus tried to keep him out of things, eventually they’d run out of options. 

Apparently both him and Virgil being legal adults changed things. 

Business wasn’t supposed to be kidnapping. That was a major step up from Virgil taking a few incriminating photos, or Janus finding out someone was neck deep in debt without hope left. And it was grating Janus more than he was allowed to express.

So he just focused on reaching the address on his phone, gripping the steering wheel harder than necessary, and taking a deep breath.

Things had to end soon. They just had to.

Not every part of him was as convinced, but for the time being, that thought was all Janus had.

///

Janus pulled up to Remy’s house hours later, more pissed off than when he’d left.

He even had to park down the street and walk back to the insufferable party, since some asshole had taken his spot. She’d wanted this, Janus was sure of it. She was laughing at him right now.

When Virgil and Logan weren’t in the corner where he’d left them, she was probably laughing louder.

“Dee!”

Remus practically fell around Janus’ shoulders, leaning too far forwards and almost knocking both of them over. “Where’ve you been? I missed ya!”

“I don’t have time for this - Is Virgil around?”

“You don’t have time for me?” Remus gasped, the alcohol on his breath half choking Janus. He was starting to reach his limit. “Little bro always gets all the attention, it’s not fair!”

“Remus-” Janus growled.

Drunk or not, Remus let go of Janus at that. It wasn’t often he sounded that menacing.

“Alright! You’re no fun when you’re angry.” Remus pouted. “The nerd ran off to the bathroom and Virgie followed. I didn’t ask! Figured they’d want some privacy.”

Janus didn’t need to ask twice.

He left Remus to talk to himself and climbed the stairs two at a time, mind racing. The drug should’ve more than kicked in by now, Logan shouldn’t have made it to the second floor.

“- pleeease Logan.”

As though Janus’ thoughts brought things into being, Logan stood against the wall at the top of the stairs, running an arm along the wall as he walked. Still on his feet, at least half conscious, and capable of putting one shaky foot in front of the other. Somehow. 

He almost bumped into Janus trying to get by, and Jan was quick to take his arm seeing how his body swayed, surely saving Logan from a painful trip down the stairs. Logan wobbled a little on the top step before steadying himself, casting a vacant gaze up to Janus.

“Your shirt… with the scales? Is exquisite.” 

Janus had not been prepared for that, blinking in disbelief. Logan just chuckled to himself and slowly descended down the stairs. And Janus let him go.

He should follow. Try and figure out what was going on, or at the very least make sure Logan didn’t hurt himself in that state, as much as Janus didn’t need the stress of babysitting on top of his existing frustration.

“Logaaan-!”

But then Virgil half stumbled out into the hall and Janus’ attention was elsewhere.

“Jan!” He greeted, face lighting up with an uncharacteristically large grin. “Did you see Logan?”

Janus watched him approach, trying not to blow a gasket at the sight of his brother barely able to stand. And looking happy about it.

“You did not seriously get drunk tonight.”

“I didn’t get seriously drunk, I got… what’s the opposite of serious? Uh… unserious? I am unseriously drunk.” Virgil said, chuckling to himself afterwards.

Janus pinched the bridge of his nose for strength.

“Tonight? Tonight, the night of our last job, the one that will mean we’re free? That same tonight?”

Virgil’s face fell at that, or maybe it was Janus’ death glare. “Logan and Remus kept - kept pressuring me! What was I supposed to do?”

“You were supposed to stick to the plan. We had one rule.” 

“You left me! That wasn’t part of the plan!”

“I had no other choice!” Janus exclaimed, realising a little too late his voice was raised, to the point that it’d made Virgil flinch. He took a deep breath. “If Harley sees you like this-”

“Fuck Harley. Fuck Harley in her stupid fucking face, actually.” Virgil stated matter-of-factly. 

“I agree, but you know what she’ll do.” Janus hissed. Then realisation struck, and horror came along with it. “She has breathalysers, Virgil, she’ll test both of us! Shit!”

Janus should never have left. He should’ve stayed, should’ve made sure Virgil wasn’t drinking, should’ve known something like this would happen. 

“Maybe we can still get Logan outside. The driver has to be there by now, and I can try to think of something in the car.”

That was their only option. Even if Virgil was swaying where he stood, looking less than impressed about Janus’ suggestion, there had to be a way out of this. 

“You’re being unserious right now.” Virgil said, like that was a perfectly reasonable thing to say.

“You are not making unserious a thing-”

“Logan i-is, he’s nice!” Virgil exclaimed, sounding years younger for a second. Whether he wanted it to or not it struck a chord with Janus. ”Even if he wasn’t nice, he doesn’t deserve this!” 

Yet Janus had to remain firm. “Neither do we.”

“Jan he’s my friend.”

“We don’t have another choice.” Janus said, ignoring the guilt in the pit of his stomach. “I’m not exactly ecstatic about the idea either.”

“There has to be something!” Virgil persisted.

“By all means, Virgil, if you figure out another way, let me know! Meanwhile I’m going to get Logan outside and sober you up, somehow, because that is all. We. Can. Do.”

Janus made it down the first two stairs before a hand pulled him back by his shirt, Virgil’s features hardened now.

“No! She can - she can fucking kill me for all I care, Logan is nice! And nice people don’t deserve to be kidnapped!”

Janus cringed at how loud his brother was having his tantrum, hissing through gritted teeth. “Not so loud-”

“It’s the truth!”

Janus pushed his brother, climbing back up the stairs and causing Virgil to stumble back in surprise as he closed the gap between them. “I am doing what we have to do. If you can’t handle that, stay out of the way. ”

Virgil’s back hit the wall, and only then did Janus note the way his breaths stuttered in and out unnaturally - and even if he tried to right himself, Janus had caught the moment of terror in his eyes. Janus had done that. 

Before he could say anything, Virgil spoke up in a hurt, broken tone.

“You’re just like her.”

He shoved Janus into the banister to get downstairs, and Janus couldn’t do anything other than watch him go.

///

The guilt hit harder than Janus would’ve liked. 

He almost went after Virgil, brotherly instinct screaming in his gut, but they had bigger problems. The first way to help both him and Virgil was to find Logan.

Even if Virgil couldn’t see that. Even if Janus didn’t want to go through with it. Harley would have both their heads if they showed up empty handed.

And so he headed back downstairs and into the main living room. To his relief the music wasn’t as loud, making it possible to think straight, and there were only a couple people standing around not doing much in particular. No signs of Logan, or even Virgil, anywhere either.

“Dee! DEE!”

Janus didn’t need Remus’ loud attempts at whispering to find him. Not when he was peeking out behind a curtain, ducking back when Janus looked at him, even if his lower half was sticking out.

“That Remy dude said the party’s over! He’s kicking people out, quick, you have to hide!”

After the night he’d had, Janus really didn’t care what Remus was doing. He had to fight the urge to mock him relentlessly, if only for the fact that there was no time.

“Remus, just- tell me you know where Logan is.”

As if on cue, a person collapsed out from behind the other curtain, hitting the carpet with a grunt. Remus craned his neck to get a better view as Logan tried and failed to push himself up off the floor. Great. Like Janus’ job wasn’t hard enough.

“I know where Logan is!” Remus declared.

Maybe Virgil had the right idea when he got drunk.

“You’re hilarious.”

///

“Hey-!”

Janus hadn’t expected the punch to the face.

When he’d heard Virgil he’d whipped around and almost gotten knocked over by the force of it, which was almost impressive, considering how Virgil struggled to keep himself upright. 

More than anything, it was just infuriating. Janus was so past done that it wasn’t even funny at that point.

“What the fuck!?” 

“What the fuck yourself!” Virgil shouted, his hoarse tone stopping Janus before he could say anything else. “I told you! Logan’s- Logan’s too nice!”

Virgil wasn’t in his right mind. Janus knew that. From the way he couldn’t stand up properly to his slurred words, Virgil was drunk, too drunk to convince of anything at that point. 

“Logan’s too nice, I won’t let you take him… I won’t…!”

The guilt rose up again, but there wasn’t much time to think and there weren’t any options left. Logan would’ve been hell to pick back up, let alone carry anywhere. Virgil was swaying where he stood and looked ready to drop.

The driver wouldn’t wait long before coming in to look for them. Harley waited for no one, and the people she hired knew that. There was no way Virgil could face Harley and get out unscathed in his state either.

Janus put a hand on each of Virgil’s shoulders and swallowed his guilt.

“You’ll thank me for this later.” 

When Janus shoved Virgil backwards he stumbled, landing hard in the hedge behind him with a thud.

“JAN-!”

“Shush! Just stay down!” Janus hissed, already turning away. “Stay down and I’ll find you.”

That was all he could afford before the back door was opening, and then Janus had to run and hop the fence, waving down the angry driver before they could step out of the car. 

When he told the driver Virgil had left early and the plan had changed with regards to Logan, the look they gave Janus told him everything. Harley was going to see straight through it. And probably anything Janus came up with, for that matter. Dread pooled in his stomach as he stared out the car window, using every bit of self control he had not to look back at the house.

Thinking about how much he’d failed Virgil would break his poker face, and just then Janus needed all of his composure. Anyway, he had to focus on finding a way out of this. Somehow.

For now all Janus could do was stifle the urge to scream, clench his still aching jaw, and watch the streetlights as they whizzed by.

Janus Archer usually thought parties were vaguely amusing at best, but that night Janus wasn’t laughing at all.

///


End file.
